ISRAEL, SAUDIS 'SHOULD CREATE NEW MIDEAST ORDER'

July 21, 2015

The international community’s nuclear deal with Iran presents Israel with a unique opportunity to band together with Sunni Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to create a “new order” in the Middle East, argued a former chief of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency during a radio interview Sunday.

Shabtai Shavit, who served as Mossad director from 1989 to 1996, was being interviewed for “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio,” broadcast on New York’s AM 970 The Answer and Philadelphia’s NewsTalk 990 AM or online.

Shavit posited there is now a “unique opportunity to try and create a coalition of moderate Arab countries headed by Saudi Arabia and Israel, both in order to address the Iranian potential nuclear capability in the future and also in order to create a new order in the Middle East.”

The former Mossad director explained how the Iran nuclear agreement, finalized in Vienna last week, and the rise of Islamic extremist groups worldwide serve as major threats to not only Israel but also to moderate Sunni Arab countries.

Stated Shavit: “One, which you just mentioned, that Iran is considered to be the adversary of all those countries that you mentioned, of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the Emirates. … In other words, the more moderate Sunni Islam. And we are a member in this same camp.

“So we share real interests, both on the nonconventional issue and on the relationship between the Sunni moderate Islam and the radical Shiite and also Sunni elements. I’m referring, of course, to the global jihad in general and specifically to Dayish (ISIS) and the other extremist groups in the Middle East and beyond.”

Shavit suggested Sunni Arab countries could play a constructive role in brokering an Israeli-Palestinian accord.

He stated: “Bearing in mind the fact that up until now we did not succeed in reach any kind of a final solution with the Palestinians in spite of the participation of all kinds of other parties like the Americans, the Europeans and others.

“I personally agree that the participation of Saudi Arabia, of Egypt and Jordan, both countries that we already have peace treaties with them, and the Emirates, their contribution to such a solution can be considerable.”